10 February, 2017

Moscow mediates talks between Assad & Syrian Kurds

Syria

Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Moscow has been
mediating talks between Damascus and the Syrian Kurds to help
maintain Syria’s sovereignty and statehood, in an interview with
Russia’s Izvestia daily.

Russia
“makes efforts to establish a common understanding between the
Syrian government and the Syrian Kurds for the sake of a united
Syria,” the minister told Izvestia in an interview he gave
ahead of Diplomat’s Day, a Russian holiday celebrated on February
10.

Lavrov went
on to say that four rounds of negotiations, brokered by Russia and
including direct contact between the Damascus delegation and
“representatives of the political and public structures of the
Syrian Kurds,” had already taken place between June and
December in 2016. In addition, the gatherings also involved indirect
talks between the two sides.

The Russian
foreign minister also confirmed that the Syrian government had held
talks with the leaders of the Syrian Kurds’ armed militia units,
the YPG.

“We
believe that such intra-Syrian dialog is useful,” Lavrov said,
stressing that there is “significant potential for reaching
agreements” between Damascus and the Kurds, as the sides have
found many areas of common interest and their negotiations are
developing positively.